Pro abortion lobby holds sway in Parliament, warns SPUC

31 October 2007

Pro-abortion lobby holds sway in Parliament Westminster, 31st October 2007 - The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has responded to a report on abortion by the House of Commons Science&Technology Committee. Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, commented: "This pro-abortion report and the committee's pro-abortion majority clearly shows that the pro-abortion lobby holds sway in Parliament. The possibility of abortion amendments to the government's human tissue and embryos bill poses the greatest danger of making the Abortion Act worse since 1990, when abortion up to birth was allowed and protection for viable unborn children was removed. It provides one more reason to oppose a repellent bill which seeks wide legal permission for the creation of human-animal hybrids." The committee's report says: -- access to abortion, particularly early in pregnancy, should be made easier Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, commented: "Removing restrictions on abortions will lead to more abortion and more abortion-related damage to women. Easier access to abortion places women under psychological pressure to have abortions, leaving them even more vulnerable to the misinformation and pressure which often accompanies abortion. Pregnant women are often put under intense pressure and abortion can seem to be the only option. Experienced pregnancy counsellors report that many women and girls are making decisions to have abortions with little or no information about the development of their baby and the physical and psychological risks of abortion to themselves." -- nurses should be allowed both to authorise and to perform both early chemical abortions and early surgical abortions Anthony Ozimic commented: "The abortion procedure is unlike any other medical procedure - it involves killing unborn children. The nurse's role is to preserve and nurture life, not to destroy it. The proposal to turn nurses into abortionists will create further divisions and conflict between nurses opposed to abortion and those willing to participate in abortion procedures." -- women should be allowed to self-administer the second stage of early chemical abortion (taking drugs which induce a miscarriage) and miscarry at home Anthony Ozimic commented: "This is a form of backstreet abortion and exposes women to both physical and psychological harm. Even RU486's manufacturers have admitted that this form of abortion is both more traumatic and just as risky for women." -- the requirement for two doctors to authorise abortion should be removed Anthony Ozimic commented: "The removal of the requirement for two doctors to authorise abortion would be a step in the wrong direction. There are a number of ways in which the two doctors' signatures requirement can help save lives - such as the effect of stressing the doctor's duty to assess the legal justification for an abortion. The requirement is related to the Abortion Act's conscience clause - it provides another opportunity for conscientious objection in the form of a conscientiously objecting second doctor." -- there is no evidence of significantly improved viability rates for children born before the 24th week of pregnancy Anthony Ozimic commented: "The viability of unborn children and debates about survival rates are irrelevant as guides to abortion law reform. This false debate about abortion time limits is a dangerous distraction. The immediate threat is the government's bill, which introduces a range of new anti-life evils, such as wide legal permission for the creation of human-animal hybrids and the genetic modification of human embryos. Whatever the possibility of amendments on abortion via the Bill, parliamentarians concerned about the protection of human life must vote to defeat the Bill at the first opportunity".